LYING

Lying is often condemned as a “naughty” behavior in children and regarded as reflecting moral deficits in adults. “In truth”, lying is a developmental skill, which is necessary for the preservation of the sense of self, the maintenance of individual autonomy, and the capacity to relate well with other persons. People whom we call “liars” or “pathological liars” are generally unsuccessful liars, while those who are more successful and skillful are not identified as such. To provide an analogy, the…

[frontpage_news widget=”289″ name=”Most popular”] Deceit and the need to detect deception are prevalent in the animal kingdom, and reaches their highest evolutionary development in Homo sapiens. Deceit is an intricate part of human communication involving, via a dynamic process, selfdeception and the deception of others. When used in “normal” ways, we are often unaware of our deceptive communications to others. Deceit serves to promote social support and helps to sustain mental and physical health. However, blatant (pathological) forms of deceit…